GUESTBOOK

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HERE'S WHERE ALL 208 CLIENTS, GUIDES AND VOLUNTEERS WHO HAVE EVER MADE TURNS FROM OUR YURTS ARE FROM, AND WHAT SOME OF THEM HAVE HAD TO SAY:

CLIENTS

United Kingdom [ 41 ]

United States [ 35 ]

Australia [ 18 ]

New Zealand [ 18 ]

Canada [ 14 ]

Germany [ 12 ]

Switzerland [ 12 ]

Austria [ 9 ]

Norway [ 6 ]

France [ 6 ]

Luxembourg [ 6 ]

Sweden [ 5 ]

Netherlands [ 5 ]

Ireland [ 2 ]

Poland [ 2 ]

Italy [ 1 ]

Latvia [ 1 ]

South Africa [ 1 ]

Just amazing. Makes me proud to work in tourism when I see that kind of setup.

— Baz Robley, Zurich Switzerland, March 2015

Guys I had an incredible time here. Great vibes, meals, and overall, people! Keep doing the good job.

— Pierre Augier, Haute-Savoie France, February-March 2015

You guys rock. Snowboarding and pow shots are good, but what makes a place amazing are the people you meet and memories you make. Ryan, you hit the nail on the head. Thank you for showing me a place so simple yet so magical. My heart will hold a space for these mountains and people!

— Jenny Yurechko, Aspen Colorado USA, Splitfest February 2015

Hey hey from the Green Mountains of Vermont. You all have created something exceptionally special here. The terrain, the guiding style, the pace, the food, music, Yahtzee!, and overall commitment to a safe, fun time. Being here this week has been a great privilege. Thank you!

— Benjy Adler, Burlington Vermont USA, February 2015

Felt at home, chilled out vibe, comfortable, amazing food, fantastic setup. Not only had a great time but learned a ton from you guys, both as a skier and a person. Thanks!

— Thomas Longo, Australia/Stavanger Norway, February 2015

Beautiful mountains and only for us. Really an experience.

— Elisabeth Wierenga, The Hague Netherlands, February 2015

Ptor, Ryan, Wayne, Kas and Nurbek provide everything you could possibly need for an amazing (the most amazing) ski touring experience. Thanks for an incredible time.

— Liam McDonnell, Dublin Ireland, March 2014

Thanks for an absolutely awesome and unique week up in the Kyrgyz Mountains. Sau Geil! We are totally stoked in general and particularly for naming two first descents. Fantastic place, great mountains, silence, pure nature, and great skiing! Thanks again you guys, you’re a great team!

Fantastic cooks! Not easy to get the logistics of mountain cooking so well done!

— Christina Leb, Vienna Austria/Washington DC USA, February 2014

My experience was so damn good! I have mentioned 40 Tribes to everyone that will listen. Even those that won’t. I’d love to ride with Greg again. To pick his brain a bit. He was a great guide: humble, thoughtful, and professional.

— Damian Olivato, Alaska USA, Splitfest February 2014

Thanks 40 Tribes. You’re a bunch of awesome dudes, I love what you’re doing here. I had an awesome adventure and will miss it dearly.

— Oliver Riall, Hampshire UK, Splitfest February 2014

Thanks guys for a rad week, great lines, great tours, OK jokes. See you all again.

— Tom Collier, London UK, March 2013

The best skiing experience of my life. Period.

— Fabio Storni, Bern Switzerland, February 2013

The terrain around the yurt is awesome. Great variety and lots of options. Terrain is no limiter here!

— John Yarington, Montana USA, February 2013

Thanks guys for these epic days that seemed way too short, and for the many chilled-out nights in the yurt with such awesome dinners! We had a blast.

— Katharina Hellwig, Lausanne Switzerland, March 2012

Excellent. A memorable experience and part of one of the best ski trips I have ever had.

— John Wild, Wellington New Zealand, February 2013

After a couple of days in Bishkek and Karakol we made our way up the mountains to the yurt. The weather was perfect and the views stunning – it was more than we expected! Greg the avalanche instructor has turned our world upside down when it comes to avalanche awareness. We have definitely learned a lot this week and it’s something we will bring back home to use when we play around in the mountains. This trip would not have taken place were it not for Ryan and his epic setup! We will most definitely come back. Best regards from Team Norway!

— Audun Lutnæs, Alvdal Norway, February 2012

We were making as amazing dreams in the day than in the night! I’ll never forget a so awesome experience. In the yurt with really good meal and powerful fire. In the mountain with incredible snow. Ryan…thank you for the weather :)

— Vincent Metz, La Franqui France, January 2012

Thanks for putting in all the effort and making 40 Tribes possible. The days I spent here were everything I expected and more. The tours were stunning, on the up as well as the down, and I felt like you were letting us in on a personal secret. It felt really special.

— Mickey Wakefield, Munich Germany, January 2011

My memories: The stunning scenery whilst skinning up, the views across the plains, the moonlight and campfires, great mountain food, the local people’s hospitality, the white horse on the skin to the yurt. Thank you for setting this up, Ryan, it has been incredible.

— Nick Bowles, London UK, January 2011

A wonderful experience: the location, living in a yurt, the skiing, and the people and their culture; all have given us an opportunity to learn and grow. So far from our everyday lives – fantastic, thank you.

— Russell Price, Nottingham UK, January 2011

GUIDES

Canada [ 4 ]

France [ 3 ]

United States [ 2 ]

Germany [ 1 ]

Kyrgyzstan [ 1 ]

This was easily the best snowboarding trip I’ve been on thanks to a combination of the location, the solitude, the crew and the setup. 40tribes has got something very special going on and in such a unique part of the world. I’m thankful to have had the chance to experience it.

— Clare Cartwright, Queensland Australia, March 2016

The best way to provide my overall impression is to tell you that I was choked up when saying my goodbyes and prior to shredding down into valley. Truth be told, I have never had a more spiritual experience then what you and 40 tribes were able to provide. 40 Tribes reignited my love for snowboarding. Thank you.

— Dan Munro, Oman/British Columbia Canada, Splitfest February 2016

Guiding was the best I’ve ever had. Perfect mix of feeling totally safe and you guys taking the situation seriously, but also super fun. 

— Nathalie Sullivan, Essex UK, Splitfest 2016

Thanks for the awesome camp, good food, and GREAT skiing. Good stuff.

Thanks for two amazing weeks at Jalpak Tash! Super stoked I got to do all of the lines we did (that I could only look at last year). I had to come back! This spot and zone is one of my favorite places in the world!

Amazing! Most importantly you were all a good bunch of guys to share some laughs and spend a week with. I think my friends are getting sick of me talking about Kyrgyzstan.

— Eugene Bilinski, Australia/Stavanger Norway, February 2015

We had an amazing time skiing the amazing Kyrgyz mountains with you guys. We could not have wished for a better skiing trip. Waking up with the crackling fire…enjoying coffee in our sleeping bags…walking through the trees…bootpacking to the tops and shredding down…having beers and one of Nurbek’s great local dishes. We loved it.

Dear 40 Tribes team, What an adventure! Great to spend it with you guys! We are converts now: the fatter the better!! Cheers to downbooties, straightlines, excellent food, bottomless snow, and breathtaking views!

I’m honestly still hyped every time I think back to the trip 2 months on. Comfortable yurts, great hosts, every detail was thought through. Such an incredible place. Haven’t had many guides in the past but can’t imagine feeling more at ease with one than Ptor.

— Jeremy Fitter, London UK, February 2014

It was really the trip of a lifetime. I’ve traveled with guides in the mountains on a number of trips (both climbing and boarding) and I really felt that Greg was a cut above. He gave me great confidence in his technical ability, and I found him to be endlessly patient and polite. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him and would happily ride with him again.

— Pete Robson, London UK, January 2014

Ptor is a machine. Well selected lines up and down.

— Sebastian Althen, Munich Germany, March 2013

Really enjoyed my time, big respect for what you have put together and long may it last. I had a great week, some great turns, learned a lot, and will now carry 5 dice in my touring pack!

— Rory Gallagher, Somerset UK, February 2013

Felt honored to be guided and entertained by the likes of Ptor and thoroughly enjoyed both his and Greg’s company, advice, and conversation, both on and off the mountain.

— John Carolin, Johannesburg South Africa, February 2013

Great 6 days of fine weather. Snow was wind affected in the alpine but enough to keep us all busy…and then there were the trees! By night we excelled at Yahtzee and moderate imbibing of local beverages. Thanks Ryan, Ptor, Kas and Azamat for the guiding, cooking, and being genuinely nice blokes. A wonderful stay!

Fully stoked! We have all been amazed by this whole thing. We don’t have terrain like this back in NZ so couldn’t get enough of the views and the aura amongst these hills. This is the first real, legit deep pow we have come across on our journey so we were just freaking out the whole time! Awesome hosts! Ryan, much respect! You are on to a good thing here. Thanks so much for all of your help in making this happen for us.

— Charlie North, Auckland New Zealand, January 2012

Ryan, you had a very great idea coming here and doing this! Congratulation! Now I will always drink my vodka thinking about Kyrgyzstan, Kasidin – the fire master, Anarbek – the real chef, and all of the great and amazing virgin powder line we ski this week…PERFECT!

— Nicolas Guyot, Les Avanchers France/DR Congo, January 2012

I’m seriously impressed. It’s a long, long way from Colorado and it takes a hell of a mixture of courage and intelligence to set up an operation like this, all before the age of 30. I wish you the very best of luck, and leave wondering what you will have achieved and what you will be doing by 40!

— Adam Carter, London UK, January 2011

So many amazing memories to take away – the stunning scenery, the starry nights, the awesome terrain…but most of all the warmth and the welcome of the yurt.

— Will Eaton, Courchevel France, January 2011

Vodka shots at Nurbek’s, lake views, the bright mountains out the door, stars galore, fireworks, gorgeous tours, and a super sweet cozy yurt. An incredible start to 2011, couldn’t have asked for better.

Your project is a great one…I hope many people discover this country, this specific place, and this way of living.

— Erica Bonnet-Laverge, Courchevel France, January 2011

VOLUNTEERS

Australia [ 1 ]

New Zealand [ 1 ]

Canada [ 1 ]

Incredible, incredible, incredible. The only three words that can describe this place, the snow and the guides.

— Clark Jensen, Utah USA, March 2016

This trip was much more for me than the skiing alone. It’s hard for me to explain but I will forever be different and I mean that in a good way. I’m 59 years old and I still learned some things about myself. Amazing country!

— Paul Begbie, California USA, March 2016

What can I say...F’ing Awesome Time! You guys put together an amazing trip with the perfect blend of culture and shredding. Thanks for the good vibes and laughs. Happy shredding!

— BRYAN GENER, DUBAI/CALIFORNIA USA, SPLITFEST FEBRUARY 2016

Thank you for an epic journey. I couldn’t have asked for a more amazing introduction to Kyrgyzstan. Your professionalism in the mountains and the atmosphere and friendship is something I won’t forget. I hope that this is the start of many new adventures with 40 Tribes.

— ASHLEY RICE, VICTORIA AUSTRALIA, FEBRUARY 2016

Maybe the best ski trip I have ever had.

— Luke Franzke, Zurich Switzerland, March 2015

The 40 Tribes splitfest was the perfect adventure for me. A remote, exotic destination, stunning scenery, great crew, fascinating culture and many new friends. All perfectly packaged by Ryan and the others at 40 Tribes.

— Krister Pihlgren, Stockholm Sweden, Splitfest February 2015

An awesome adventure in a remote and beautiful part of the world. Waist deep powder, face shots, food to lick your plate for, and a fantastic team of people who love to shred. Epic trip!

— Andy Wood, Lanchester UK/Whistler BC Canada, February 2015

Kyrgyzstan was a definite highlight for 2015. Great country, fantastic people, excellent food and some huge potential for phenomenal skiing.

— Timothy Moore, Australia/Sandnes Norway, February 2015

The total experience was just phenomenal, from both a cultural and skiing/skinning side. Great how you set up the trip with this focus on the culture and authentic approach.

— Bas Jurgens, The Hague Netherlands, February 2015

Ryan runs a tight ship in the middle of the wilderness. Not even 1 airplane flew overhead in our week here. Just the stars and the snow, great food, good folk, and top guiding with Ptor. An out of the box experience.

— Konrad Bartelski, London UK, March 2014

Such an amazing, wild and remote place. Exploring it on skis made it one of my top mountain experiences ever. Your concept is the perfect combination for psyched backcountry skiers who love vast landscapes, wild mountain scenery, silence, intact nature, basic life and fantastic skiing!

— Petra Rimbeck, Bavaria Germany, February 2014

The guiding was an absolute highlight. The guides put a lot of thought into varying the tours, scenery, level of difficulty, etc. Well done!

— Ben Salm-Reifferscheidt, Vienna Austria, February 2014

A fabulous week – a real privilege to ski with you guys and get to know these mountains. Food very good, yurts comfortable and warm.

— Chris Kinder, London UK, February 2014

Never had an arranged driver before so I felt like royalty man! Hop off the plane, grab yer bags, wink at the husky Kyrgyz customs lady in the fur lined hood, high five yer 40 Tribes driver, and yer off to slay some Tien Shan pow!

— Chris Stevens, Colorado USA, Splitfest February 2014

Definitely one of the coolest trips I’ve been on.

— Nick Van Ness, New York USA, January 2014

We were there during a week of very challenging and rapidly changing conditions. So what blew my mind is that every day the guides were able to come up with amazing new places for us to ski. It’s a testament to the variety of terrain accessible, and also to the quality of the guiding.

— Bill Middleton, Almaty Kazakhstan, March 2013

We sampled a lot of the terrain around the yurt. It was so rad how we rode something almost every day that no one had skied before. Amazing how close to the yurt those lines ‘Jupiter’ and ‘Asteroid’ are!

— Bret Shandro, British Columbia Canada, February 2013

We could not have asked for a better 4 days to learn about avalanches, take in the stunning scenery, and enjoy some sweet yurt livin’. Great instruction, great company, amazing food…and some nice turns to wrap it all up! You’ve really put something special together here, Ryan. Thanks for sharing.

— Mike Igoe and Carolyn Hricko, Montana USA, February 2012

The Swedes without much expectations showed up in this beautiful country and what a success so far! Despite some inexperience of ski touring we have had some great ascents, a few PERFECT runs, avalanche awareness and snowy clouds for four days. We hope we’ve brought lots of snow to be settled for stellar February conditions.

When it comes to the organization and accommodation in the yurt we just want to say thank you – a perfect blend of comfort and coziness, great service, and super great people.

— Johan Danestig, Stockholm Sweden, January 2012

DA YURT is so awesome, mountains so nice, powerful, amazing! We just spend an awesome trip like will never hope to have it. It was just perfect for the ski, for the vibes, just a mega THANKS!!

— Manu Kerinec, Montpellier France, January 2012

At 2,600m and -15C you have managed to create a boutique backcountry yurt of exception. What an experience, I have loved every moment of it. Thanks and hope to see you all again.

— Dorrien Ricardo, Morzine France, January 2011

Had we bigger, fatter skis we might have kept our reputation as reasonable skiers. All that fades into insignificance to this whole fantastic amazing experience: 10 guys in a yurt for a week, comfortable & well-fed, bonfires and Yahtzee all night. Thoroughly enjoyed it all. Thanks.

— Roger Hobill, Melton Mowbray UK, January 2011

This is a special place above Ichke Jergez, the result of months of hard work and years of experience with the local culture. A ski yurt, about as far off the grid as you can get, that’s as good for us as for the Kyrgyz villagers who allowed it to be here.